This week offered a beautiful glimpse of our Enduring Principle, Unity in Diversity. From sitting at kitchen tables during home visits, to gathering on screen for board meetings, to joining in worship and ministry with both small and larger groups, I saw how different settings and voices can come together in harmony.
In homes, I was welcomed into the daily rhythms of families and individuals. These conversations reminded me that discipleship is often lived quietly, in love shared, in faith practiced through care, and in stories passed from one generation to the next. God was present in those ordinary spaces, reminding me that the Spirit is moving wherever people open their hearts to one another.
Board meetings carried a different kind of energy. The work was practical and sometimes weighty, yet I was grateful for the depth of perspective around the table. Each person contributed a unique way of seeing, and together those differences shaped thoughtful decisions grounded in faithful stewardship.
And in ministry, whether gathered in a circle of a few or in the joy of a larger assembly, I was reminded again that every gift matters. Each prayer, each word of song, each moment of sharing carried its own beauty, and together they formed something more whole than any of us could create alone.
Unity in Diversity does not erase difference. It welcomes it, celebrates it, and weaves it into a stronger community. In Community of Christ, we believe that the Spirit gathers us with all our varied gifts, cultures, perspectives, and experiences, not so we become the same, but so that together we reflect more fully the richness of God’s creation. Difference is not a barrier to unity; it is the very texture that makes our community vibrant and whole. When we listen to one another with respect, when we create space for voices that might otherwise be silenced, when we discover Christ’s presence in lives that look different from our own, we are living this principle. It is a unity born of love, not uniformity, and it allows us to be both diverse and deeply connected. For this gift, I carry deep gratitude, trusting that God continues to bind us together in ways that strengthen our witness and deepen our faith.
With gratitude,
Meredith Carr
Australia Mission Centre President